Everyone loves an underdog. And Phil Mickelson before the 2004 Masters Tournament, was "everyone's favorite runner up". That's the spirit of this book. To try and try again just like Phil did winning the premier professional golfer's title in 2004 after 42 tries!
The book tells us that if golf were life, one has to believe in dreams, cultivate talent, work hard and never stop until you reach your goal. Endurance.
Life lessons are shared at the end of each chapter called "Take Aways".
One chapter said, "Even the most confident and talented of people need an occasional reminder of their abilities along the way in an ongoing pursuit of meeting priorities and achieving larger goals."
Examples pointed out were: For a hands-on parent, one looks for signs in his or her children's lives as they grow and mature for reinforcement that they are moving in the right direction.
For a leading coach questioning if his team grasps the message, seeks a reassuring victory."
Another said, "Never assume you are irreplaceable and work hard to score big in your peak times. Working on the fundamentals with specific goals in mind often leads to winning. All you can worry about is your own game. Focus on your abilities and not the play and expectations of others."
The only weakness of this book is that since it's selling Phil Mickelson (naturally, he is on the cover and his name's on the title) and therefore author David Magee seems to defend Mickelson's personality flaws like his penchant for gambling and his being overweight (at one point).
But to his credit, Magee tried to balance it by saying it that this streak of aggression, this go-for-broke style was the thing that was costing Mickelson a major title.
I guess as a writer, he was also setting up the scene for the time when Mickelson (pg 167) " the aggressive, club-wielding gambler, would use his head first, thinking through beforehand how to preserve shots through a more thoughtful approach."
When talking about the book Magee says "We all struggle against the high expectations of others and ourselves to continue the battle to win life's majors. Lessons learned from Phil Mickelson's game and career can lead us all."
For readers who like motivational self-help books, this could be an interesting read. For golfers, the book isn't about techniques, it's about attitude towards golf and life in general. So if you'd like to find out how Mickelson won the Masters in 2004, perhaps try reading another book "One Magical Sunday".
ABOUT PHIL MICKELSON
Phil Mickelson is known as Lefty in golfing circuits for his unique left handed swing. He has finished 1st on the PGA TOUR thrice in 2005.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Magee is the author of 'Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan', 'The John Deere Way: Performance That Endures' and 'Ford Tough', the latter two published by Wiley.
A former newspaper editor and columnist, Magee has been interviewed on NPR, ABC Radio, Bloomberg TV, and the Discovery Channel and has appeared on dozens of regional television and radio programmes.
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING
"Magee's contribution is that he delves into Mickelson's keen interest in golf, work ethic, commitment to family, and character. He has done considerable research, such as noting that when taking a music appreciation course Mickelson related the rhythms and tempos of particular pieces to golf swings." - Steven Silkunas, Library Journal, Reed Business Information
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Jennifer is a Presenter/Producer with Channel NewsAsia.
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